The present invention is relative to an ammunition loading system and, in detail, it is relative to an artillery ammunition loading system.
It is known that artillery ammunition loading systems of the traditional type are designed and configured to fulfill the specific needs of a combat vehicle or a battleship and require a manual operation in order to load the ammunition.
In particular, artillery ammunitions comprise a first part, or projectile, which, in use, is the first one to be loaded into the cannon or howitzer, and a second part, or propelling charge, which is the second part to be inserted following the projectile.
Some of the loading operations for loading the ammunitions, i.e. the projectile and the propelling charge, are at least partially performed in a manual manner and, therefore, cause a delay in terms of time and a risk due to the manual handling.
As a consequence, loading operators are exposed to a plurality of risks, which comprise, at least, being subject to overpressure at the moment of the firing and the risk of exposure to contamination from ionizing particles (nuclear radiations), bacteriological or chemical agents, commonly known as NBC agents (Nuclear, Bacteriological, Chemical), as well as the risk of exposure to contaminations due to the handling of propelling material to be inserted into the breech.
Furthermore, loading operators typically work in a turret that supports the carriage of the cannon or howitzer; said turret rises above a hull both of a fighting vehicle and of a battleship. The hull typically guarantees a higher degree of protection than the turret due to the fact that operators are situated at a lower height and, therefore, their position is more hidden.
Furthermore, ammunition loading systems of the known type present great difficulties in loading the cannon or howitzer, if the latter is configured with large elevation angles.